73 Palestinians killed in Gaza as Netanyahu vows to recover hostages amid escalated strikes
Netanyahu has come under strong pressure to get the hostages back after US President Donald Trump said Israel had agreed...
Geostrategy
Syria state media says talk of peace deal with Israel ‘premature’
Syrian state media reported Wednesday that statements on signing a peace deal with Israel were "premature", days after Israel said...
Geostrategy
Economy
Russia to pay overseas debt in rubles as US exemption ends
Russia said Wednesday that it will start paying its foreign debt in rubles after the United States ended an exemption...
- Punishing Western sanctions on Russia have largely severed the country from the international financial system.
- Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said the current situation was "artificially created by an unfriendly country".
Arts & Culture
Tabla gets a new lease of life in Egypt
It is often women who are now playing the goblet-shaped traditional drum, an early version of which has been found...
- The beat of the tabla is ubiquitous, animating every Egyptian wedding, concert and impromptu dance party.
- And yet professional tabla players have been associated with nightclubs, where they accompany the undulations of belly dancers, looked down on as figures of ill-repute by many.
Business
Sanctions hit Russia, Iran to boost cooperation in energy and trade
Tehran and Moscow are seeking to expand cooperation in energy and trade, officials said Wednesday, as Russian Deputy Prime Minister...
- Both countries have huge oil and gas reserves but are constrained by sanctions imposed by the West.
- The two countries vowed to increase the use of their national currencies in their trade exchange.
Business
Seeking new start, Russian professionals set up shop in Dubai
Entrepreneurs, lawyers and art dealers are among those flocking to the financial hub in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, which...
- They are attracted by the ease of setting up a business, and the prospect of better opportunities as sanctions bite at home -- and a more welcoming environment.
- The city, with its luxury hotels and tourist facilities, is well known to Russians as a high-end destination for the wealthy, particularly those interested in real estate.
Geostrategy
Pfizer offers to sell medicines at cost to poorest countries
US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer on Wednesday said it would sell its patented drugs on a not-for-profit basis to the world's...
- The announcement came as part of a new initiative, An Accord for a Healthier World, announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
- The accord focuses on five areas: infectious diseases, cancer, inflammation, rare diseases and women's health -- where Pfizer currently holds 23 patents.
Business
After banning wheat shipments, India caps sugar exports
India said it has capped sugar exports to safeguard its own supplies and ease inflation, days after a ban on...
- The world's largest sugar producer and number two exporter after Brazil said on Tuesday that shipments would be limited to 10 million tonnes for the current marketing year
- Although India is a marginal player on the global market, the move sparked a further surge in already-soaring global food prices
Geostrategy
Oil, gas firms use Ukraine war to resist climate efforts: report
The London-based think tank InfluenceMap analyzed advertisements and declarations by the companies in the weeks before and after Russia's invasion...
- The London-based think tank InfluenceMap analyzed advertisements and declarations by the companies in the weeks before and after Russia's invasion of Ukraine
- Oil and gas sector has quickly mobilized around the war in Ukraine and high gas prices to promote the need for more 'American-made energy'
Economy
More than 70 migrants missing after boat sinks off Tunisia: coastguard
More than 70 people are missing in the Mediterranean after a boat crowded with migrants headed for Europe from Libya...
- Libya has become a major launchpad for migrants seeking to reach Europe on what has become the world's deadliest migration route
- Last year, 15,671 migrants attempted to reach Italy from Tunisia, up from fewer than 13,000 in 2020, according to the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights
Economy
ECB warns of risks to financial markets from Ukraine war
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has put financial markets under renewed stress by driving up prices and impeding growth, the European...
- Inflation in the eurozone has accelerated as costs for energy, agricultural goods and raw materials have risen sharply
- The development in prices has prompted central banks in developed countries to turn to interest rate hikes to tamp down inflation
Geostrategy
Iraqi arrested in plot to kill ex-president Bush
Shihab Ahmed Shihab, 52, told an FBI informant that he wanted to smuggle at least four other Iraqis into the...
- Shihab Ahmed Shihab, 52, told an FBI informant that he wanted to smuggle at least four other Iraqis into the country over the border with Mexico to undertake the plot
- He was was arrested early Tuesday and was charged in federal court with an immigration crime and aiding and abetting the attempted murder of a former US official
Most Read
Revenue from Saudi cinema may exceed $1bn by 2030KSA, UAE play well as e-gaming trends across GCCExclusive: Middle East’s retail sector rides on AR and hybrid shopping to become $600bn digital economyTECOM Group profit soars 13%UAE startups eye Saudi Arabia for growth, expansionSaudi Arabia leads GCC AI healthcare raceDisparity remains as Saudis, Emiratis see wealth gains
73 Palestinians killed in Gaza as Netanyahu vows to recover hostages amid escalated strikes
Netanyahu has come under strong pressure to get the hostages back after US President Donald Trump said Israel had agreed...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
US forces down drones, missiles fired at warship by Houthis
The US military command said that its forces shot down one anti-ship ballistic missile and three one-way attack unmanned aerial...
Geostrategy
Scientists launch hub to channel quantum power for good
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Scientists will work to channel the huge emerging power of quantum computers for the common good at a...
Science
Women, rural poor most affected by climate change, says UN
PARIS, FRANCE – Heatwaves and floods inflict greater economic pain on rural women than men because climate change intensifies existing inequalities,...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Business
Asian markets mostly down as China sets 5 percent growth goal
Hong Kong, China - Asian markets largely fell on Tuesday after China set an ambitious five percent annual growth target and...
- Tokyo finished flat, a day after Japan's benchmark Nikkei index hit a record high, closing above 40,000 points for the first time.
- Sydney, Seoul, Mumbai, Jakarta, Bangkok, Singapore, Manila and Kuala Lumpur were down, while Taipei and Wellington were up.
Geostrategy
Tesla stops production at German plant after suspected arson attack
Michael Stuebgen, interior minister for Brandenburg state, said that "if initial findings are confirmed, this is a perfidious attack on...
- Emergency services were called to reports of a burning electricity pylon southeast of Berlin in the early hours, in the area the factory is located
- But it knocked out power to the Tesla factory, as well as surrounding villages, and police have launched an investigation into suspected arson
Science
Endangered wild horses return to Kazakhstan
First documented in 1881, Przewalski's horses have narrowly avoided extinction thanks to breeding programs at zoos worldwide.
- The zoos are planning to take at least 40 Przewalski's horses to roam free in the Altyn Dala (Golden Steppe) area in central Kazakhstan in the next five years
- In June, Czech army planes will transport three stallions and five mares to Arkalyk in central Kazakhstan, with Prague zoo and Tierpark Berlin sending four horses each